SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
In 1914, the Pemberton Shipyard began giving each of its four hundred riveters a week of paid vacation, a rare benefit at the time. Owner Ada Pemberton believed that rest would improve the ______ productivity, and company records show that output rose the following year.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
riveters'
riveter's
riveters
riveter
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The productivity belongs to the four hundred riveters, so a plural possessive is needed. For a plural ending in s, add only an apostrophe: "riveters'."
Choice B is possessive, but "riveter's" refers to a single riveter, while the vacation went to all four hundred.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. "Riveter's" refers to a single riveter, but the text is about all four hundred.
- C. "Riveters" is plural but not possessive, so it can't show that the productivity belongs to them.
- D. "Riveter" is singular and not possessive.
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